Hi Kalena,
I have a question. I want to start optimizing my own site. Would it be better to start fresh with a new site or should I try to fix the existing site? And does it make sense to purchase a template or have a webmaster design it from scratch?
Thanks
Nelson
————————————-
Hi Nelson
Whether you optimize your existing site or start from scratch depends on a lot of factors:
- Are you happy with the design of your current site?
- Is the current web site designed with users in mind?
- Does it convert well and/or attract a lot of traffic?
- Does the current design allow for SEO to be performed easily?
If you’re able to quickly answer YES to these questions, then you may not need to start from scratch. If you hesitated even a little, you would probably be better off redesigning your site from the ground up.
In other words, if there are more ticks in the *negative* column than the *positive* one, you should absolutely not fear scrapping your existing site and starting a new one. If you are worried about losing current search rankings for existing pages, you should consider 301 redirecting those pages to their replacement pages when you create them.
In terms of a new site template, I have been recommending WordPress for SEO purposes for a long time now. I advocate keeping your own domain and installing WordPress on it, with an attractive theme that is easy to use. Google and other search engines adore web sites built with WordPress and there are a lot of SEO-related plugins that will help you. Plus it’s free! Can’t argue with that.
If you aren’t confident using WordPress, there are a lot of talented WordPress designers out there who can be of assistance, or you can teach yourself using the detailed WordPress user documentation.
As an alternative to WordPress, you could also consider Google Sites.
Hope this helps.
Kalena
————————————-
Sick of paying others to SEO your site? Download my Free SEO Lesson. No catch!
